Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 29, 2026
05:12
Chronic Intermittent Ethanol Vapor Exposure Paired with Two-Bottle Choice to Model Alcohol Use Disorder
Published on: June 23, 2023
Identifying subtypes of dual alcohol and marijuana users: a methodological approach using cluster analysis
Magdalena Harrington1, Janette Baird, Christina Lee
1Department of Psychology, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, USA.
Addictive Behaviors
|September 30, 2011
Summary
Daily use of both alcohol and marijuana is linked to the highest risk of negative consequences and risky behaviors. Understanding these substance use patterns is crucial for targeted interventions.
Area of Science:
- Substance Use Research
- Behavioral Science
- Public Health
Background:
- Alcohol is the most common psychoactive substance used with marijuana.
- Limited understanding of how varying levels of alcohol and marijuana use impact risks, injuries, and psychosocial functioning.
- Lack of systematic identification of alcohol and marijuana use patterns associated with increased risks.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify distinct patterns of co-use of alcohol and marijuana.
- To examine the association between these patterns and risky behaviors, injuries, and psychosocial functioning.
- To determine the clinical relevance of different co-use patterns.
Main Methods:
- Secondary analysis of data from a randomized controlled trial (RCT).
- Cluster analysis of past 30-day alcohol and marijuana use patterns in two subsamples (N₁=210, N₂=217).
- Analysis of external validity using ANOVA to assess psychosocial and behavioral differences among identified clusters.
Main Results:
- Four distinct subtypes of alcohol and marijuana co-users were identified and replicated across subsamples: Daily Marijuana/Weekly Alcohol, Weekly Alcohol/Weekly Marijuana, Daily Alcohol/Daily Marijuana, and Daily Alcohol/Weekly Marijuana.
- Significant differences in psychosocial negative consequences and risky behaviors were observed among the subtypes.
- Daily Alcohol and Daily Marijuana users exhibited the highest risk for negative consequences and a broader spectrum of risky behaviors.
Conclusions:
- Distinct patterns of alcohol and marijuana co-use exist.
- The pattern of daily use of both substances poses the greatest risk for adverse outcomes.
- Identifying specific co-use patterns is essential for understanding associated risks and developing targeted interventions.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:20Cluster Sampling Method
Appropriate sampling methods ensure that samples are drawn without bias and accurately represent the population. Because measuring the entire population in a study is not practical, researchers use samples to represent the population of interest.
To choose a cluster sample, divide the population into clusters (groups) and then randomly select some of the clusters. All the members from these clusters are in the cluster sample. For example, if you randomly sample four departments from your...
To choose a cluster sample, divide the population into clusters (groups) and then randomly select some of the clusters. All the members from these clusters are in the cluster sample. For example, if you randomly sample four departments from your...
01:16Hypothesis Test for Test of Independence
The test of independence is a chi-square-based test used to determine whether two variables or factors are independent or dependent. This hypothesis test is used to examine the independence of the variables. One can construct two qualitative survey questions or experiments based on the variables in a contingency table. The goal is to see if the two variables are unrelated (independent) or related (dependent). The null and alternative hypotheses for this test are:
H0: The two variables (factors)...
H0: The two variables (factors)...
01:24Substance Use Disorders Affecting Sleep
Substance use disorders involve a pattern of using drugs more extensively than intended and continuing use despite harmful consequences. This includes legal substances like alcohol and nicotine, as well as illegal drugs. These disorders often involve both physical and psychological dependence, reflecting compulsive use of substances that significantly alter thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, contributing to a major public health issue.
Understanding the concepts of physical dependence,...
Understanding the concepts of physical dependence,...
01:03Mass Spectrometry: Alcohol Fragmentation
Alcohols (R-OH) ionize to lose one non-bonded electron from the oxygen atom, forming molecular ions. Due to their tendency to fragment rapidly, the intensity of the molecular ion peak in the mass spectrum is weak or sometimes absent. The fragmentation patterns for alcohols occur in two ways, i.e. ⍺-cleavage and dehydration. During ⍺-cleavage, the bond at the ⍺-position adjacent to the hydroxyl group cleaves to give a resonance-stabilized cation and a radical. However, intramolecular dehydration...
01:27CNS Depressants: Alcohol and Nicotine
Ethanol, a clear colorless alcohol, has been consumed by humans for millennia, but its effects on the body are far from benign. At lower doses, it induces decreased inhibitions and loquaciousness, leading to its social appeal. However, it can cause severe consequences at higher doses, such as coma and respiratory depression, due to its zero-order elimination kinetics. Chronic ethanol abuse wreaks havoc on multiple organ systems, particularly the CNS and the liver. Abrupt cessation of ethanol...